Canadian retailer builds net-zero stores

Canadian fashion retailer Simons opened its first net-zero store this year in Quebec City.

The 80,000 sf store is outfitted with solar panels on the roof and in the parking lot, and incorporates a geothermal heating system. Simons aims to generate considerable marketing benefits from its green efforts.

The private company built a podium in a Londonderry, Ontario store that displays current solar generation, how much electricity was used to date, what the offset is between the two, along other key metrics like how many liters of gasoline have been diverted from the use of the charging stations. The company’s director of store development says she has a mandate to build more net-zero stores, with three more in the pipeline.

Retailers across Canada have been raising sustainability standards for their buildings over the past 10 years. IKEA's Edmonton outlet, for instance, has rooftop and parking lot PVs that generate 50% of the store’s electrical needs.